Tote-box.



R. S. BROWN.-

TOTE BOX.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-12,1916.

Patented Apr. 3, 1917.

ROBERT S; BROWN, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE NEW BRITAIN MACHHVE COMPANY, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CON- NECTICUT.

TOTE-BOX.

Patented Apr. 3, 191?.

Application filed January 12, 1916. Serial No. 71,664.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that if, ROBERT S. Brown, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Britain, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tote-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to what are known as tote-boxes. I have two primary motives in view, one the production of a box having a handle or handles, so related with the box as to not interfere with the virtually-complete nesting of the box and a companion box or the nesting of several of them, the result being that a nest of the boxes will be more compact than those now in general use. Another point is the provision of a box possessing the maximum strength, especially at the place or places where the box is subjected to unusual strains. While the invention has as observed been for convenience given a title, it is obvious that said invention can with equal advantage be incorporated in receptacles of other character than those actually designed for toting.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of the present specification I have shown in detail one convenient form of embodiment of the invention which I will fully set forth in the following description. I do not restrict myself tov this exact construction; I may depart therefrom in several respects within the scope of the invention defined by the claims following said description.

Referring to said drawings:'

Figure 1 is a perspective view and Fig. 2 a side elevation of a tote-box involving the invention.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of several of the boxes nested together.

Fig. 4 is a vertical central longitudinal section of an end portion of the box. on a large scale.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of. the arrow also on a large scale. a

Fig. 6 is a developed view of a blank from which the box may be made, and

Fig. 7 is a similar view of a blank from which a handle may be made.

Like characters refer to like parts throughout the several views,-which it will be noticed are on difi'erent scales.

The box comprises a bottom as 2, sides as 3 and 4., and ends as 5 and 6, the sides 3 and 4 belng duplicates and the ends 5 and 6 of slmllar construction. In the present case the s1des, end and bottom are integral with each other, although this may not always be necessary. Tt1s preferable, however. While the box may be made of any suitable material, sheet metal is eminently satisfactory in this connection, possessing the necessary strength combined with the requisite lightness. I will hereinafter describe a blank in itself novel and from which the box can be so formed that it will be reinforced adequately at points where such reinforcement 1s practically essential. The sides 3 and 4 and ends 5 and 6 are flared, diverging in the present case respectively on approximately equal angles in an upright direction from the bottom, this flared construction permitting the nesting of the boxes to insure compactness as far as possible in shipment.

A flared tote-box as may be clear, is in itself not new with me, and it is not new as may be also gathered, to nest them for transportation purposes or storage. It is the custom to provide these boxes with handles at the ends and with the present construction a tote-box equipped with handles the handles interfere with the compact nesting thereof. My novel type of box notwithstanding the fact that it is equipped with handles, can be nested as closely as one without a handle. This condition I secure in the present case by providing the ends 5 and 6 of the box between the sides 3 and 4 with upstanding portions 7 and 8 respectively, by reason of which the handles (hereinafter described) can be so connected with said boxes as not to interfere with the practically complete nesting of the boxes. These upstanding portions as will be clear project above the upper edges of the sides 3 and 4:. In the present case the box is equipped with two handles as 9 and 10, one at each end, the handles being also of sheet metal as a matter of pref-v present case and their inner ends are substantially in the plane of the upper. edges'of the sides 3 and 4.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a blank which can be cut orstamped from sheet metal and from which the box can be formed. This blank has the central portion 12 of approximately rectangular form, the side wings 13 and 14 and the end wings 15 and 16. From the side wings 13 and 14 of duplicate construction, the sides 3 and 4 of the box are constituted, while from. the similar end wings 15 and 16, the ends 5 and 6 are made. The central portion 12 presents the bottom of the box. The blank between the ends of the two sets of wings is slit diagonally as at 17. After the blank is cut the wings 15 and 16 are bent upwardly and outwar ly along the fold lines 18. The wings 13 and 14 terminate in tab pieces 19 of approximately triangular form. After the ends 15 and 16 are bent up, the sides 13 and 14 are bent up along the fold lines 20, the two sets of fold lines 18 and 20 presenting as will be understood the margin of the central portion 12 of the blank. When the side wings 13 and 14 are bent up the ends of their bodies will abut against the upwardly diverging side edges of the end wmgs 15 and 16. When this relation is present the tab pieces 19 of the side wings will be folded over the outside faces of the end wings 15 along the lines 21. The side wings 13 and 14 have selvage portions or lips 22 which continue uninterruptedly along the outer edges of their bodies and also along the tab pieces 19 form ing parts of said bodies. After these side wings 13 are bent up andafter the tab pieces 19 are bent over the end wings 15 and 16, the selvage portions or lips 22 can be bent down against the outer surfaces of the two side wings along the lines 23, it being understood that the selvage thus formed extends the complete length of the upper edge of the sides of the box and partly along one end thereof. The end wings 15 and 16 each have an elongated li 24 and two short lips 25 at opposite en s of the elongated lips respectively, the two pairs of shorter lips converging outwardly on practically equalv angles to conform to the similarly shaped adjacent part of the said end wings. After the lips 22 are bent downward to rodnce selvage along the upper .edge of t e sides of the box and partially across the ends of the box, the short lips 25 are bent down against the terminal portions of the lips 23 which as will be understood are located at the ends of the box nearthe corners, the consequence being that the box at this point has four thicknesses. Afterward the lips 24 can be bent down.

The handles may be made from a blank such as shown in Fig. 7. This blank can be doubled upon itself, along transverse fold lines 26, 27 and 28 to produce a doubled portion (9 or 10) which is the handle proper and the laterally extending portions 29 and 20 which constitute the shanks or attaching parts of the handles. Each part 30 is inserted between a lip 24 and the upstanding part of a box end, while the longer shun: portion 29 fits directly against the ends of the box. After the several folds have been made and after the handles have been positioned, permanent relation may be obtained by spot welding at desired )laces or otherwise. The handles are perforated as at 31.

The upstanding portions 7 and 8 at the ends of the box at their sides diverge downwardly, the lips 25 and the terminal portions of the lips 22 following the angles of such downwardly deflected portions. It will be clear, therefore, that the angles of the upper ends of the tab pieces 19 conform to the angles of said upstanding portions. The presence of the latter in addition to acting as a means for the connection of the handles in the manner indicated, also increase the capacity of the box.

The handles are so positioned that when the boxes are nested there are 5 aces between the handles of the respective boxes into which the ends can be thrust to lift a box or boxes from place. The handles may if desired be perforated as at 31 to receive a book so that a box can thus be dragged along the floor when loaded. In some cases I might for additional strength double the lips, flanges or selvage portions 22, 24 and 25 thus further stiffening the box throughout its entire upper edge.-

It will be evident that the box has flaring sides and raised beveled ends, the sides having end tabs and lips continuous along the upper edge of the sides, and end tabs, the lipped end tabs being adjacent to the beveled ends and lips on the beveled ends overlapping the end tabs.

As already observed I have shown one form of embodiment of the box. In this particular showing the box has flaring sides and ends. This particular relation, while highly advantageous, may not always be essential.

It will be clear that the box has a side and an end at an angle to present a corner, the side being flared and having an integral tab bent against the end, said side being flared and also having a bent down exterior lip extending unbrokenly around said corner.

What I claim is:

1. A box having sides and ends all of which are flared, the ends between the sides having portions which extend upwardly above the upper edges of the sides, the sides having integral tabs fitted against the outer faces of the ends, the upwardly-extending portions of the ends being on upwardly 1,221,789 all converging slants commencing at the corners of the box and the upper sides of the tabs being correspondingly converged, the sides havin down-turned exterior lips extending un rokenly therealong and also along the respective tabs, those parts of the lips which are on the tabs being on a slant corresponding to the other slants and the upwardly converging parts of the ends having exterior lips bent over the lips of the tab pieces.

2. A box having sides and ends all of which are flared, the ends between the sides having portions which extend upwardly above the upper edges of the sides, the sides having integral tabs fitted against the outer faces of the ends, the upwardly-extending portions of the ends being on upwardly converging slants commencing at the corners of the box and the upper sides of the tabs being correspondingly converged, the sides having down-turned exterior lips extending unbrokenly therealong and also along the respective tabs, those parts of the lips which are on the tabs being on a slant corresponding to the other slants and the upwardly converging parts of the ends having exterior lips bent over the lips of the tab pieces, the intermediate portions of the ends having down-turned exterior lips between the other lips thereof fitted against the outer faces of the said ends.

3. A box having siQes and ends all of which are flared, the ends between the sides having portions which extend upwardly 1 above the upper edges of the sides, the sides having integral tabs fitted against the outer faces of the ends, the upwardly-extending portions of the ends being on upwardly con.- verging slants commencing at the corners of the box and the upper sides of the tabs being correspondingly converged, the sides having down-turned exterior lips extending unbrokenly therealong and also along the respective tabs, those parts of the lips which are on the tabs being on a slant corresponding to'the other slants and the upwardly converging parts of the ends having exterior lips bent over the lips of the tab pieces, the intermediate portions of the ends having down-turned exterior lips between the other lips thereof fitted against the outer faces of the said ends, and handles for the ends having attaching portions fitted under the intermediate lips of the ends.

4. A box having sides and ends, all of which are flared, the ends having portions which extend above the upper edges of the sides, the sides having end tabs and lips continuous along the upper edges of the sides and end tabs, said tabs being fitted against the ends, the lip portions of the tabs converging upwardly and the terminal porconverglng portions of the ends having lips bent over the lips of the tabs.

6. A box having flaring sides and ends, the sides having integral tabs extending from the ends thereof and fitted against the outer faces'of the ends, the end portions of the ends and the upper portions of the tabs converging upwardly from the sides, said sides having exterior lips extending unbrokenly therealong and along the upper portions of the tabs, the bevel portions of the ends having lips bent over the lips of the tabs,- said ends also having intermediate bent down lips, and handles fitted against the ends and provided with oppositely extending feet, one foot of each handle extending under the intermediate lip of the corresponding end.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT S. BROWN.

Witnesses:

H. H. TUTTLE, C. H. SWEET. 

